In a turbocharger for an internal combustion engine, a turbine wheel may be rotated by exhaust gases and may be connected to a compressor wheel by a common shaft. The compressor wheel may charge intake air for the engine. The compressor wheel, the shaft and the turbine wheel may rotate at speeds that approach hundreds of thousands of revolutions per minute. In addition, the turbine wheel operates in a high temperature exhaust gas environment, wherein heat may be transferred to the other turbocharger system components. Under these harsh, and increasingly demanding operating conditions, the lifespan of a turbocharger is expected to match that of the engine with which it operates. To accomplish that challenge, the design of a turbocharger and its components must be robust to survive as expected, while still being cost effective. As a result, a turbocharger is designed to exacting tolerances and standards. In view of the involved rotational speeds, a turbocharger's shaft and wheel assembly must be precisely balanced.